Wall Street Zen Upgrades Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) to “Hold”

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $245.00 to $272.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $310.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Bank of America upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, December 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $288.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD opened at $272.56 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The company has a market cap of $60.67 billion, a PE ratio of -153.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $254.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $268.56.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. Air Products and Chemicals had a negative net margin of 3.28% and a positive return on equity of 15.18%. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.86 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Air Products and Chemicals has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.100 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.850-13.150 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Abound Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 292.3% in the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Air Products and Chemicals

Here are the key news stories impacting Air Products and Chemicals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS $3.16 vs. $3.04 expected and revenue $3.10B vs. $3.05B, with margins benefiting from lower costs and pricing. This beat is the primary driver of the rally. APD Q1 Earnings Beat on Lower Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained FY‑2026 guidance (EPS 12.85–13.15) and set Q2 guidance (2.95–3.10), signaling confidence in the business and limiting downside from the quarter. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate wins and shareholder actions: increased quarterly dividend to $1.81 (44th consecutive annual raise) and new/ongoing contracts including >$140M in NASA liquid‑hydrogen awards and progress on low‑emission ammonia deals — supportive for long‑term revenue visibility. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance relative to consensus is mixed — the company’s FY and Q2 ranges are essentially maintained but sit near or slightly below some street estimates (e.g., consensus Q2 ~3.03; FY consensus cited ~12.93), which could cap upside until guidance traction is confirmed.
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned capital expenditures remain high (~$4.0B for FY‑2026). That supports growth projects (H2, ammonia, hydrogen infrastructure) but may constrain free cash flow near term. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Relative performance: some coverage noted APD underperformed peers recently, a reminder of potential short‑term volatility if sector momentum fades. Air Products Underperforms Peers

About Air Products and Chemicals

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc is a global supplier of industrial gases and related equipment and services, headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company produces and delivers atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as specialty and process gases used across a wide range of industrial applications. Air Products designs, builds and operates gas production facilities, merchant distribution networks and on-site gas systems for customers that require reliable, high-purity gases and integrated supply solutions.

The company’s product and service portfolio includes packaged and bulk gas supply, pipeline distribution, on-site generation, gas handling and storage equipment, and engineered systems for gas liquefaction and purification.